Hot stamping and heat transfer press for rollable objects

ABSTRACT

A press for hot stamping or heat-transferring an image upon a rollable object comprises a rigid bottom surface on which are rolled, in gripping relation, at least one pair of similar resilient spaced rollers carrying end-projecting shafts. The object is grippingly rolled between these rollers for imprinting the image thereon. A movable chain disposed on each side of the rolls has slotted bearings in which ride the projecting shaft ends, thus enabling the shaft ends to move vertically but not horizontally. A rigid unheated upper surface is disposed over the rollers in a manner to be capable of applying a vertical downward pressure on the rolled objects. A heated die is disposed within the upper surface, and a foil carrying thermoplastic ink or transfer is disposed between the object and the die for transferring the image onto the object as it is rolled under the die.

United States Patent Inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee HOT STAMPING AND HEAT TRANSFER PRESS FOR ROLLABLE OBJECTS 4 Claims, 36 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 101/7, 101/8, 101/11, 101/31, 101/40, 101/407 A, 308/6 R lnt.Cl B44c 1/14, B41f 17/22 Field of Search 198/183, 33

[56] References Cited Primary Examiner-Robert E. Pulfrey Attorney-Peter .1. Gaylor ABSTRACT: A press for hot stamping or heat-transferring an image upon a rollable object comprises a rigid bottom surface on which are rolled, in gripping relation, at least one pair of similar resilient spaced rollers carrying end-projecting shafts. The object is grippingly rolled between these rollers for imprinting the image thereon. A movable chain disposed on each side of the rolls has slotted hearings in which ride the projecting shaft ends, thus enabling the shaft ends to move vertically but not horizontally. A rigid unheated upper surface is disposed over the rollers in a manner to be capable of applying a vertical downward pressure on the rolled objects. A heated die is disposed within the upper surface, and a foil carrying thermoplastic ink or transfer is disposed between the object and the die for transferring the image onto the object as it is rolled under the die.

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sum 1a or 18 INVENTOR. TONY SC [AME ATTORNE V 3608, 180 sum 15 0F 18 I 55 I 4Z 3)ZG FIG- 2 INVENTO TONY SCIA A TTORNF V SHEET 18 [1F 18 FIG.Z7

I 20/ INVENTOR. TONY SCIHME ATTORNEV SHEU 17 0F 18 IN VENTOR. TONY SCIAME HOT STAMPING AND HEAT TRANSFER PRESS FOR ROLLABLE OBJECTS CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 689,224, filed on Nov. 20, 1967, by Tony Sciame, now abandoned which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 553,397, filed on May 27, I966, by Tony Sciame, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a press machine and process for hot stamping of rollable objects and the heat transfer of labels.

and similar material as well as to the process of doing same. More specifically, it deals with a machine wherein the rollable object to be stamped is disposed on resilient rollers, which roll grippingly on a rigid support surface, andsaid object being pressed in a vertical direction to said surface by a rigid upper pressing surface while the hot stamping or transfer is being ef-- screened in the desired colors and then packed and shipped to the hot stamper, who generally applies the gold design and lettering. The reason why both (hot stamping and silk screening) operations are not effected simultaneously is that decidedly different arts and techniques are involved, requiring entirely.

different conditions and operations which are not considered to be compatible. For instance, silk screening involves only the application of an instantaneous light pressure of the pig ment through the silk screen, whereas gold stamping requires a heavy pressure of a hot die upon the gold foil for a relatively much longer time. Suspended rollers are employed in the silk screen art, but such rollers, per se, are not capable of effecting hot transfer by the hot die technique in producing work of even average quality.

Silk screening employs a liquid ink which requires drying time. Hence, cylindrical and similar objects generally cannot have the entire periphery silk screened in a single operation.

One of the limitations of present hot-stamping operations is that, often, only a limited area of the work can be so imprinted, due to the fact that the work is held in cavity molds which do not permit access of the entire object for imprinting operation. As can be inferred from the nature of the manner of hot stamping now carried on, the rate of application is relatively slow, thereby involving high operational costs.

In the case of imprinting of very thin wall containers or containers of very soft material which cannot be imprinted by nonsupported means, mandrels have been inserted into the containers for support purposes.

A search of the prior art has revealed the Scherer US. Pat. No. 2,703,047, whereby filled gelatin capsules are rolled for branding by means of a stationary overhead die having a toothed marking surface. Before they reach the die, the capsules are passed between opposed bars having a bias of about ID from the vertical, so as to have only a slight downwardforcing action on the capsule ends. Since such capsules are known to be thin-walled and flexible, it is obvious that only a light guiding effect is intended, as otherwise any appreciable pressure from such angle would distort the capsules and deform them into a spherical shape so that branding would be practically impossible, or else the pressure would burst the capsule. Since, for the purposes of the present invention, a vertically directed ironing pressure must be exerted over a substantial portion of the top of the object being stamped, the disclosure of the aforesaid patent has little bearing thereon.

A further reference disclosed in the art is the Malnar US. Pat. No. 2,346,174, which shows the extrusion of a moist soft coating over welding rods which are rolled on a flat conveyor belt under a die to impress a mark. Such a procedure would be inoperable if the rods were rolled between resilient rollers with pressure applied from above.

Another reference disclosed in the art is US. Pat. No. 2,635,533, wherein barrels are driven on a pair of rails by an overhead flexible conveyor and an imprinting unit intermittently rises between the rails and imprints the barrels. Since, this patent does not disclose the essential features of the present invention, i.e, the rigid upper ironing" pressure surface, and the rollers grippable on a lower rigid surface, as well as the object imprinted, it too has little bearing on the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION According to the present invention, a machine is presented which enables a rapid hot stamping of the entire area of the object to be stamped at a high production rate. Furthermore, it permits the application, not only of gold, but of other multiple colors as well, in perfect register, and it enables the heattransferring of labels and similar heat-transferable materials on rollable objects at a very high rate of speed. Broadly, the process involves the use of l) a rigid bottom surface, (2) a series of resilient rollers on which the object to be imprinted (i.e., the work) is transported, and which rollers are designed to be disposed upon and to grip said bottom surface, (3) a rigid pressure surface designed to apply a vertical ironing" pressure upon a portion of or the entire contactable surface of the object as it is being transported by and on said rollers, which object also grips said upper pressure surface, (4) a die or transfer serving to impress or apply the image (i.e., the imprint) on the work while the latter is rotating under the ironing pressure of the upper surface, and (5) vertically slotted bearings in which the roller shafts rotate. Other features will become apparent as the description proceeds.

Refer to FIGS. 1 and 2 will illustrate the difference in the forces involved when comparing the present invention with prior art techniques, such as those involved in silk screening. A typical silk screening process, such as that depicted sche matically in FIG. 1, involves the passage of a screen 18 over the work (such as container 32) which is disposed over rollers 17 and 17. Or, alternatively the work 32 is rolled under screen 18 by rollers 17-17. For this operation, a very light vertical pressure must be exerted between the work 32 and screen 18. However, on the other hand, if a hot-stamping operation were to be effected in this manner, the vertical pressure required would cause rollers 17 and 17 to be forced in the directions of the outside arrows, so that a very poor quality of work would result, if at all. In the present invention, as outlined in a general way in FIG. 2, rolls 21 and 21 are disposed, in gripping relation, with a bottom plate 20. An upper pressure plate 33 (or die) impresses a vertical ironing pressure on at least a substantial portion of the contactable surface of container 32, which is in gripping relation with plate 33. This vertical ironing" pressure is transmitted to rolls 21-21 in a manner such that, as the pressure is increased, the gripping action of rolls 21-21 is increased on bottom plate 20, so that there is no possibility for rolls 21-21 to deflect laterally, and thus an imprint of high quality is applied to container 32.

Another feature of the present invention resides in the insertion into theupper pressure plate of a stationary heatable die, the kerns of which project beyond the plate surface. The spaces between the kerns of the die are filled with a heat-resistant heat-insulating material, and the lower surface of the plate surface subject to foil-melting temperature is also coated with a heat-resistant, heat-insulating material, so that the face of the die is the only exposed element at foil-melting temperature (which is usually about to 300 F.) when the object is rolled under the plate surface for image transfer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS This invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which a preferred embodi- 

1. A press for hot stamping or heat-transferring an image upon a rollable object, comprising: a rigid bottom surface, at least one pair of similar resilient spaced rollers carrying end-projecting shafts and designed to roll over said bottom surface in gripping relation, and between which a rollable object may be grippingly rolled for hot stamping or heattransferring thereon, a movable chain disposed at each side of said rolls and having vertically slotted bearings for accommodating said projecting end shafts in a manner such as to permit said shaft ends to move vertIcally but not horizontally, a rigid unheated upper surface disposed over said rollers in spaced relation in a manner such as to be capable of applying a vertical downward pressure upon an object being rolled between said rollers, a heated die disposed within said upper surface, and a foil carrying thermoplastic ink or transfer disposed between said object and said die for transferring the image onto said object as it is rolled under said die.
 2. A press, according to claim 1, in which said pair of rollers comprises: a first roller having shaft ends riding in said chain bearings, a second roller arranged to trail freely behind said first roller, and independent-bearing connecting means disposed on each side of both latter rollers and connecting the two rollers.
 3. A press, according to claim 2, in which said second roller is adjustably connected to said connecting means to enable increasing or decreasing the distance between the two rolLers.
 4. A press, according to claim 1, having: a cross-shaft disposed between said chains and connected at each end thereto, a pair of bearing bars swivelly attached, each at one end to said cross-shaft, in line with said chains and disposed, one apiece near the inner portion of each chain, and said pair of rollers being mounted in tandem to and between said bearing bars near the other end thereof. 